[The heart in various connective tissue diseases]

In this study is presented the experience of 294 patients with different connective tissue diseases such as: a) rheumatoid arthritis, b) systemic lupus erythematosus, c) ankylosing spondylitis, d) progressive systemic sclerosis, e) dermatomyositis-polymyositis and f) mixed connective tissue disease. All these patients were studied prospectively during the last eight years through non-invasive methods to detect cardiovascular complications. The connective tissue diseases can provoke inflammation and fibrosis in any of the diverse cardiac structures, with the consequent complications. These alterations are frequent, with a high degree of morbidity, and have a direct relationship with the severity and chronicity of the primary connective tissue disease. Some of these patients respond favorably to cardiological and anti-inflammatory management, while others are refractory to such treatments. The prognosis of the observed complications in these patients depends in great part on the development of the basic rheumatic disease. This kind of patients should be studied systematically from the cardiological view point, so as to detect these complications as early as possible.